House Mouse

The house mouse is omnivorous. Seeds are the preferred food but mice also like foods high in fat and protein such as butter, bacon, meat and sweets. Mice feed at multiple sites, often 20-30 different sites each day, taking a small amount of food at each. A typical mouse will consume about 3 gm of food each day, about 10% of its body weight. Mice prefer to live in buildings and other dry areas often close to human food supplies.

The house mouse ranges in colour from brown to grey and measures from 11 - 15 cms in length. They have large ears, a pointed nose, small eyes, small feet, sharp, flat teeth and a long tail that is darker in colour than the body. The faecal droppings of mice are typically 6mm long and pointed. An adult mouse will weigh about 30g but can weigh up to 90g

There is a definite social ranking among mice that is linked to protection of individual territories that are scent marked with urine. Subordinate mice tend to feed and be sexually active when the dominant males are inactive, generally during the day. Unrelated males are highly aggressive towards each other. Males tend to have larger territories than females and each mouse will travel its entire territory daily to investigate any changes that may have occurred.

Life Cycle

Mice are prolific breeders and under ideal conditions will breed year round. Mice begin to breed at about 6 weeks of age and the female will have an average of eight litters per year each with an average of six pups. It is not unusual for a female to be lactating and, at the same time, be pregnant with a new litter. The gestation period is 21 days. Pups are born bald, deaf and blind. Their eyes open at around 3 days and they have fur by 10 days. House mice have 5 pairs of nipples.